Sir,-I think Mr. Gray is hardly fair to the theory of the water-cement ratio. Professor Abrams only tries to deal with one variable at a time; and his statement is that, other from remaining unaltered, the lower the water-cement ratio, the higher the strengthas long as the mixture remains workable. He stresses the qualification, to which he attributes the downward droop of the curve at low ratios. The qualification has had results of practical value in leading to the development of vibrating machines.
Sir Thomas Hudson Beare, in his Presidential Address, thanked members of the Branch for doing him the honour of electing him Chairman, and then referred to the formation of the Branch on October 16th last, when the President and Secretary were present. He then went on to say that his presidential address would be more or less in the nature of an informal talk, and that it seemed to him that looking back over fifty years of professional life a resume of the developments in Structural Engineering might prove of interest. Professor Sir Thomas Hudson Beare
THE writer left England on September 25 th, and, after a pleasant voyage, arrived at Montreal on October 3rd. E.W. Bentley
Mr. C. J. JACKAMAN proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Mears, and commented upon the Institution’s good fortune in having secured a paper so novel in character.
Mr. STEWART said that the Ulster Parliament Buildings were the last of the parliament buildings erected so far in the British Empire, and perhaps in the world. He went on to explain why they had been built, because it was his experience that very few people in this country knew very much about Ireland.